Sick of Magic Missile

[Numion]

I think the problem is not the spell itself, but the availability of wands. Even a sorceror can only cast so many - unless he wants to use up higher level slots. One of my pet peeves with 3e is the way wands are so readily available. Magic Missile and CLW are two of the worst imo. Not easy to nix, either without banning craft wand outright.

Caster level 1 wand of magic missile: 750 gp => 15 gp per charge
Caster level 5 wand of magic missile: 3750 gp => 75 gp per charge
Caster level 9 wand of magic missile: 6750 gp => 135 gp per charge

I really don't see the problem here. If you charged those amounts from a fighter for swinging his sword ..

 

[The_Magician]

Maybe you should try creating situations where the MM wouldnt be very useful, which would force the spellcasters to think of using other spells. Maybe doing that, they could learn/like using different spells and not get so addicted with MM as before. A few examples were given here, and I bet you could think of others as well.

 

[Henry]

Arcane magic have been nerfed into the ground. What do you expect your players to do? Go through a hugely elaborate plan to cast use animate rope on the uncousious enemy?

There's a huge difference between that, and a spell that is unerring, long range, and does consistent damage with little to no risk to the caster, as magic missile does. That said, making it something besides a force effect would be a subtle yet large change later; no core creatures have "force resistance", and few low-CR creatures have element resistance; therefore, you have a spell that is still very effective at low levels, but immediately begins to show its limitations at higher levels, and a need for more varied spell powers. There's little more effective, yet boring, than a sorcerer who is a walking arsenal of magic missile, scorching ray, fireball, lightning bolt, and cone of cold. It's the equivalent of a character walking around with nothing but a vulcan mini-cannon and a link-belt.

...Magic Missile is (and always has been) the bench-mark 1st lvl spell.

I have to disagree, because no other 1st level spell has its power level. Even the fighter has to make an attack roll to hit something, and often has to risk his life to do it. I don't expect mages to be in the front lines fighting, but giving them something that just tallies off the damage every round seems a bit too good, to me. The reason 1st level spells seem to be underpowered is because magic missile is a more powerful spell. Saying the other spells are subpar is, to me, like saying all cars are subpar because they aren't Dodge Vipers.

 

[ForceUser]

Saying the other spells are subpar is, to me, like saying all cars are subpar because they aren't Dodge Vipers.

Quoted for truth.

 

[diaglo]

I have to disagree, because no other 1st level spell has its power level. Even the fighter has to make an attack roll to hit something, and often has to risk his life to do it. I don't expect mages to be in the front lines fighting, but giving them something that just tallies off the damage every round seems a bit too good, to me. The reason 1st level spells seem to be underpowered is because magic missile is a more powerful spell. Saying the other spells are subpar is, to me, like saying all cars are subpar because they aren't Dodge Vipers.

in ye olde dayes magic users got 1 spell at lvl 1.

1 magic missile ... 2-5 hps avg 3.5 ... is not enough to kill an orc 1-8hp avg 4.5 mostly....

so the m-u was in trouble still...

and i think the problem now is the number of spells/day sorc can cast....

 

[ForceUser]

in ye olde dayes magic users got 1 spell at lvl 1.

1 magic missile ... 2-5 hps avg 3.5 ... is not enough to kill an orc 1-8hp avg 4.5 mostly....

so the m-u was in trouble still...

and i think the problem now is the number of spells/day sorc can cast....

Yeah, but playing a low-level caster in previous editions truly sucked, I hear. One spell/day at first level? How boring.

 

[just__al]

A golem tends to trump all spells, so that's not really a magic missile specific solution, is it?

The magic missle solution is <i>shield</i> or a brooch of shielding.

 

[diaglo]

Yeah, but playing a low-level caster in previous editions truly sucked, I hear. One spell/day at first level? How boring.

boring???

it meant using your spell more wisely. resource management.

save or die...roll for hit points at lvl 1.

diaglo "killed more magic users than any other class" Ooi

 

[Henry]

Heck, Diaglo just reminded me of something: I don't think Magic Missile was even around in the earliest edition of Dungeons and Dragons (The Men and Magic book)! Is that correct, D? Back then they just had spells like light, charm person, sleep, and about 8 or 9 others.

 

[ForceUser]

boring???

it meant using your spell more wisely. resource management.

save or die...roll for hit points at lvl 1.

diaglo "killed more magic users than any other class" Ooi

I'm all for resource management, but that's too extreme. Even first-level adventurers have more than a single encounter per day. I'd hate to be the 1st-level wizard in those editions, choosing to abstain from participating in the fun until a single moment, and then being unable to participate in the fun for the remainer of the day thereafter. A 1st-level 3E wizard specialist can usually cast, what, 4 0-level and 3 1st-level spells per day? That's a much more interesting exercise in resouces management, to me.